The church in Ukraine continues to press on and serve Christ in times of war. As you will see in the testimonies shared below, suffering people in Ukraine are exceedingly grateful for the presence of God’s people and the food packages they receive. Olena, an unnamed elderly woman, and Tamara are just three hurting souls who are experiencing the love of Jesus in action through the outreach of an SGA-supported church.
The reality of their heartache and experiences cannot be denied. But the witness of Christ is greater, and we pray they will open their hearts to Him. Give praise to God who gives us victory through Christ in the midst of such a broken world, and read more of their stories . . .
Testimony #1 — Olena
We came from a city in Eastern Ukraine as a family. My husband is a soldier in Chuhuiv. We had a house there. We lived in the basement with a friend and her two children whose house was completely destroyed by an enemy shell. During the first week we ran out of food. It was impossible to get in and out of the city. The markets were empty. Somehow, in the second week, I was able to buy some wheat groats, and we still had some vegetable oil. The three children ate greedily, although they had never eaten such porridge before the war. The animals were also very hungry. It was so hard to look into their eyes.
Our house was built of wood, and we realized that if something hits, it will burn down all at once. The children were hiding from the explosions under a metal bathtub. There was a bridge near us that was constantly being bombed. We managed to escape on the 44th day. We arrived in [this] region and only here we felt peace and comfort.
Dear people, when we receive food from you, we know that we will eat something delicious that we cannot afford for ourselves. Thank you very much for your love and care!
Testimony #2 — An Elderly Woman
We came from southern Ukraine. We lived under occupation for 11 months. It’s hard to describe how scary it was. When our part of Southern Ukraine was liberated, we were very happy. But they started shelling us very hard. When our building where we lived was destroyed, there was nowhere to stay. We decided to flee, because it was no longer possible to live there. War is pain, grief, a lot of horrors around. I can’t believe that I personally, in my old age, am going through such a horror and seeing so much death, tears and sufferings around me!
Testimony #3 — Tamara
We came from a region in Eastern Ukraine. There is a military base next to our house. We heard all kinds of explosions. Constant shelling. Nearby is the town of Izyum, which was occupied by the [invaders]. All the windows and doors in our apartment were smashed. We lived under shelling for seven days. We kept running to the basement. My granddaughter is 10 years old. It was hard to look at a frightened child, who was screaming in fear all the time. We want to protect our children from the war!
It took us three days to get to [this] region. We slept on the floor. We met many kind people here, who fed us and provided all kinds of support. These people are saints, because they know and love God. We see and learn this from them, because our life without God is hardened and useless, it carries no fragrance, but only stench!
We are sincerely grateful to the kind people of the SGA mission, sponsors and all the people, who buy and deliver such wonderful products for us. May God protect you all!
In a time of great uncertainty, God is bringing help, healing, and hope to the people of Ukraine through SGA-supported pastors, churches, a seminary and SGA-supported Compassion Ministry. Be a part of God’s incredible work with your generosity and prayer support.
Your gift of compassion helps struggling people with emergency aid that generally includes Scripture materials, food, and hygiene supplies.